The Unix Nerd's Domain
BMW
Good Servicing Guide![]()
Time to expose the folk you'd not trust to work on an old Fiesta and praise those who love your M3 even more than you do! Views expessed here are not necessarily those of The Nerd himself so don't sue me if you don't like what you read.
| A joy to deal with and good value. | |
| Good but not perfect or maybe a bit expensive | |
| Average. | |
| Either poor work or very expensive. | |
| Avoid like the plague. | |
| Call trading standards! |

Wales
| Name | Rating | Area | Comments |
| Leslie H. Trainer | and many |
Swansea, Wales | Had more than 13 faults on my compact and I had to book the car in
on more than three occasions to get one job done correctly. Still have
a fault with my engine pinking - which this dealer says it is not at fault!
Prices are very steep for services and the quality is poor.
and Excellent overall service, staff attentative and helpful. also Have taken my 3 series here since new, have always found them to provide an excellent professional service. In particular the aftersales department has an attention to detail not previously experienced at anytime during my 40 years of motering - excellent quality and at a reasonable price! also Very surprised to read previous comments in relation to this dealer. As a customer for more than 25 years, I cannot rate their standards of service, care and attention too highly. I have purchased at least 12 new and used BMW's from them and have always been entirely satisfied. I believe that this must be the experience of the vast majority of their customers, as they have received many service awards based on customer surveys. also I have recently had my BMW X5 serviced at Trainers and found the service faultless. The staff were courteous, polite, friendly and efficient. It was a pleasure to do business with them. also After the poor sevice at Rydale Cardiff the service a Trainers was at the other end of the scale, even though I am young they took me seriously from the start. also: Major service due, i informed them pad warning light on and steering notchy. Promised it would be sorted and all pads are removed and visually inspected. Got car back and told me they didnt have time to change pads (Were they inspected?) and at first knew nothing about steering fault, but incredibly knew all about it when i comlained and told me there was no fault, until i made someone sit in the car and show them how obvious it was. Then, amazingly it had been looked at but they werent sure what was wrong and would need it in again, i felt they werent truthful with me. What worried me more was that when i took my car (A 1995 E36 convertible) to another garage to have the brakes sorted, they found a front tyre had previously been poorly repaired and had deformed to so much an extent that it was barely sealed against the wheel rim, which was apparently very very dangerous. So much for Trainers full service inspection Also: I recently bought a 330d sport from trainers, and after a short while it has developed a serious defect , whilst accelerating ie up a slip road 70-75 you loose power a yellow light appears on the dash traction controll the car wont respond to the throttle,if you apply the brake , the power sometimes re appears, also when travelling downhill,if you back off the throttle the car appears to brake for you, The car has been into trainers and they have looked at it ,but could not find a fault on the computer,in thier eyes the fault does not exist,They appear to have a lack of customer care /respect or BMW havent covered that aspect yet, Also: Bloody Hopeless! Also: wouldnt touch them with a barge pole Also: Brilliant! They gave me a lift back home, picked me up when the car was ready, washed and vaccumed the car, put some new wipers on, inspection 1 on a e46 2002 318ise, 2 free coffees and top totty at the counter. All for under £210 Also: Pleased with servicing, but had a major issue when I had a "humming" noise on my 2 year old 523i (only ~20k miles at the time). One disc was slightly oxidised, which I insisted indicated that the pads weren't in contact on that disc. They totally misdiagnosed and wouldn't review their root cause faultfinding methodology. They replaced both discs, and eventually a small local garage found that one of the brake cyliders was sluggish retracting, a symptom of a careful driver! No way back for me on this dealership which I was previously happy with, until their standards were questioned. Arrogant? Also: 12/04/06: After poor repair work via insurance company, took 323iSE to Trainers. Initially, good response but inflated costs soon touched £2,600 for the car to be "put perfect". Now, the catch is, the car has moved just 1,000 miles since the repairs and has failed its MOT! No records of these 'new' faults that makes me question just how thorough they were first time around? Be vigilant with their 'repair lists' and record everything. Also: 29/01/07: Well organised service and reception. Have had car serviced here over the last 6 years. Always been satisfied with work carried out except for one time when oil plug had been left semi-tight. Phoned Trainers and the service manager asked me to bring car in for inspection - said it may be the alloy block causing the problem! I told him it was more likely just a technician forgetting to tighten the nut properly. As one would expect, prices are on the high side, and I will be trying out an independent for the next batch of work on the car (Bryn Motor Workshop). Parts Dept at Trainers seem very good, always able to source the part and happy to help. Also: 27/06/07: The worst garage I've ever encountered Rude staff poor service no follow up Unfortunately everyone I speak to has the same opinion. Don't know their own range of cars and products Promise alot deliver nothing also: 20/09/09: If you want dolly birds, coffee and a lift to town choose Trainers. If you want intelliigent service rather than being totally ripped off, go to Bryn Motor Works just behind Trainers. also: 11/10/09: really pleased with service on m3 pleasant staff |
| Rydales Cardiff | Cardiff | Customer service was truly a terrible experience,renewed my E.C.U at
a cost of 600 and they did not rectify the problem had to shout to get
it sorted, very snobby and aloof..use at your peril!!
Also from another owner: An absolute rip off ! How on earth do they get away with the charges - and then still not get the job done correctly ! Stay away from this one folks! Also: Terrible service, terrible work, terrible attitude and expensive, what more can I say -except THEY ARE TERRIBLE................. don't go there. Also: Had the car 8 hrs for a 1hr job, and couldn't even remember it was there when I rang. Full of smarmy guys in suits, and very expensive - STAY AWAY!!! Also: Specialists my Arse! I bought a demonstrator 7 series off of these clowns and no one there knew that you had to depress the brake before you can start the car - they called out the breakdown company 3 times before the Mechanic informed them of it ! I've bought a few cars off of them and they don't give a toss about the customer and less about what you think of them - Bloody Useless and a disgrace to BMW Also: I am a young lottery jackpot winner, Went to buy a new Bmw around 25k mark, got snubbed, sevice was appaling! I have submitted a good review for Trainers. Also: No help at all. Tried to get faulty window motor changed; got charged too much and had window rollers changed. Didnt fix problem; I don't think that they value their customers very much Also: My 3 series has been back on 2 occasions both jobs were quoted as straight forward but both took all day and at least 10 calls to find out progress Also: When I started reading the comments for one of the garages on this website I thought "that sounds like Rydale Cardiff" I scrolled down and sure enough up popped the name! Abismal service from the start, very expensive, incompetent repairs. On receiving my car after MOT and light repair, they hadn't connected the indicator but had used a quarter of a tank of petrol! Could go on for hours with tales of their incompetence. After seeing this site I be changing garage. Also: does this company seems to be on a one way track to self distruction,never met such a rude unprofesional group in my life. Also: asked to fix door handle (cable broke in side) cost me £300+ handle very stiff to open kids can not open the car door. take your money and run. Also: Absolutely useless. Had long running dispute with BMW over part replacement, Rydale were involved. Never return phone calls, never do what they promise. Fitted new exhaust which then fell off the next day, requiring recovery of vehicle. Avoid like the plague Also: 30/01/06: I have just had a door handle replaced on my 5 series: £152 for the handle (2 weeks delivery time from Germany as it's a painted part) then £109.63 to fit it! When I queried the labour charge of £93.30 I was told their hourly rate is £107 (yes ONE HUNDRED AND SEVEN POUNDS PER HOUR inc VAT (as of 30th January 2006)). I have complained about customer service on a couple of occasions but nothing has changed - time to try someone else. Also: 08/02/06: fitted new pads&disks to my 325i hand brake not ajusted and brakes rubbing plus oil change total prise 400 pounds for a job you would exspect from a back street garage Also: 09/02/06: Avoid due to chronic "Main Dealer Syndrome". They're just too busy to care. The phone lines are always engaged when you ring to enquire about progress and then they have the cheek to tell you they did'nt have time to repair the faults they found because you didn't authorise them and you'll need to book it back in. The final straw was when the earliest appointment they could give us to pick up our car for its service was in 6 weeks time, and then when they finally came to pick it up, they refused to take it as they claimed the tyres were bald! (It had just passed an MOT!) Avoid. I'm off to try B& R Garages (I've heard good things and they answered the phone on the first ring!) Also: 24/03/06: Shocking. My fathers 528 was booked in for a service 2. When he went to pick it up, they'd given it an inspection 1 again, completley buggering up the service schedule. Inept. Also: 17/09/06: After waiting for them to answer phone to book car in, waiting 2 weeks for them to have availability. I brought my car in on my way to work, waiting at the Service Reception I was ignored for 20mins while the Service receptionists were busy chatting to each other and walking away from the desk, was told my car would be ready afer lunch I arrived at the dealership at 3.30pm (as no-one phoned and no-one would answer phone) to be told they haven't even started the car !!! I asked for my keys as I was very upset and angry to be told they have misplaced them !!! after waiting (an hour) for them to look and no-body came over to let me know if they had found them I asked to speak to the Service Manager Brian, I heard the receptionist explain why I wanted to see him and he told the receptionist I would need to make an appointment but I could speak to Keith the Assistant Manager, Keith eventually came out and apologised and offered me a lift home to get spare keys, by this time I was ready to explode as my car keys also had my house key on it so I couldn't get into my house either and my partner was away. Keith told me there was nothing he could do and suggested I should stay with someone. Charming !!! I have never known a company with such poor service who couldn't arrange a p**s up in a brewery. Stay well away. Recommend B M Wize good service, very resonable, car cleaned and they didn't loose my keys. Also: 20/02/07: Wife’s X3 was losing power on the hills and sounded rough and various warning lights came on. Wrote down the symptoms for her to explain. Car went in after 3 days. She was called at 3.00 to say it was ready, a pipe had come off exhaust. Off she went, got in the car driving out of Cardiff same problem. She stopped and phoned the garage who told her to call out the recovery services. She told them where to stuff it. Booked in 2 days later, need new coils. Car now running ok. These are our first BMW's, and are now going to be the last. Shame, cars are wonderful but BMW Ryedale Cardiff are unbelievable, there was one more incident, but I can't remember it. also: 17/05/08: My car is only 3 years old so I have only ever needed routine servicing doing but they never have a courtesycar available. They can never quote a collection time and last time it went it for one the pointless, money making, annual inspections to check that the exhaust pipe hasn't fallen off and that the door handles still work, they phoned me about an hour after I got home to say it could be collected. The car parking at the garage is limited and the staff seem disinterested. In the past I have moaned to BMW UK about them and got a polite but non-committal response but at least the dealer always washes it for me now. |
|
| B & R Garages | and |
Cardiff | Independant BMW Specialists on Tremorfa Industrial Est.Originally on
Rhymney Bridge Road. Tony (& his partner, sorry forgot name) do an
excellent job. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Derek mans' the spares desk. Did various
jobs on my old 520i, now my 525TDS. Tell 'em Mr Cole from Newport recommended
them!
Also: I booked my boss' car in for a service and some other jobs to be done on his 5 series. He was very pleased with the results. He found them courteous, friendly and efficient, especially after having terrible service at Rydales - BMW's recommended service garage!!! I would certainly recommend them to other BMW owners Also: An absoulute pleaseure to deal with. Excellent workmanship - very reasonable costs. My entire family now go to chris at B and R. Well done! Also: Great list - it's nice to go direct to the garages that have been recommended. Excellent service from this garage also: Very knowlegable, efficient, and trustworthy! the characteristics of a true professional. I would recommend them to all my fellow BMW owners! also: 31/01/06: I thought Rydale, Cardiff, were the worst (and they are bad) until I took my car to these guys. On the face of it they appear to be friendly and courteous, but I was treated to a very different and particularly unpleasant side when they refused to return my car after a dispute over garaging costs. It was only after my car had been with them for a while, because of a legal dispute I was embroiled in preventing work from commencing, that they brought up the matter of charges for garaging, which is not the proper way to conduct business by anyone's standards. The moment they mentioned this I said I would move the car but they wanted me to pay costs they had introduced retrospectively. Not surprisingly I politely told them I was not entertaining this idea but they insisted that I could not have my car until I met their unreasonable demands. I had no choice but to leave the car with them despite having stated in writing that I wanted my property returned without delay. They refused to play ball for a couple of weeks, presumably thinking that I was made of money and would relent before them. I was in conversation with lawyers anyway and after a representative went to photograph the engine they realised that I was taking this situation very seriously, so combined with the fact that I was clearly well informed and not going to capitulate they had a change of mind. In the end a voice message was left by our friendly Tony on my mobile at 16:00 on a Friday afternoon instructing me that I should collect my car at the earliest opportunity, intimating that if I didn't there would be nothing left of it once the local population of travellers had been at it. Scandalous, needless bully boy tactics employed by greedy, small-minded owners, stay well away, go to Autotech in Caerleon, Newport, they know what they are doing and don't hit you with unexpected charges like this. Also: 13/06/06: Good work but quite pricey..theres often an unexpected extra on the bill and a story about how the work was complicated. Also very patronising attitude to customers who are obviously very knowledgable. Also: 21/04/07: Avoid as if they had the Black Death ! and don't be fooled by Tony's affable and persuasive tone ! 2001: sent my E30 318is there for a replacement passenger door. Had a call saying "we cannot start your car"; this as because something had happened to the £400+ GR-420 Cat 1 alarm system, which would now not disarm. The car came back to me with 3 of the four jacking points crushed, and the floor of the drivers footwell pushed up, probably when it fell of a jack ! Some time later the car was plagued by water coming into the passenger footwell. I traced the source to the passenger door, where upon close inspection, the door card was badly deformed due to exposure to moisture. I removed the door card to find that in place of the correct waterproof door membrane, there was a sheet of leather textured vinyl, cut very crudely, and not to size, which had been stuck to the inside of the door with butyl tape. This had simply come away allowing water to enter - I have now replaced the membrane. Another example of their ineptitude: they had an 8 series in their workshop, and were struggling to remove one of the headlamp covers - a simple but secure slide and lift operation. Also: 31/08/07: Would NEVER use them again, they were complete rubish. Wrong oil used (semi sythetic instead of fully) Didn't spot that a wishbone bush had worn out - it took a tyre fitter to tell me ! charged twice the cost of wiper blades than anyother place (Halfords etc) Was about to do a full service (service 2), when I only need an oil service (I stopped them doing this just in time) charges for credit card payments also: 09/09/08: An excellent service - what you would expect from a smaller non dealer garage. An absoulute pleasure to deal with - Highly recommended everytime. also: 05/11/08: took my car to too have the handbrake adjusted took them 4 hours after adjusting that it needed a new handbrake cable because it was crowded and had snapped while adjusting it which i had to pay for...Watch Out For Sweet Talker Tony... also: 18/02/09: Having used them twice (I thought I'd give them a second chance) I have to say they have been awful both times. First time they tried to carry out a Service 2 instead of an oil service. They missed that the front bush had gone - When getting tyres done (not by them) they pointed this out to me. Why did they not pick this up ? Second time, they tried to over charge me for a part and when I said I could get it cheaper the response was "we wouldn't do the work as it's not worth doning!" So they want to charge £50+vat per hour AND make money off the parts or they are not happy to do the work. They also charge a staggering FOUR PERCENT credit card fee ! Don't be fooled by Tony Cash and his sweet talk. As soon as they realise that you know what you are talking about, they come up with all sorts of excuses and try to wriggle their way out of it. Both times I took the car to them, they managed to spot a few 'extra' things that needed doing and always tell you how much effort it was to do the work, or deal with the warranty company. Guess what - that their bloody job to do the work and deal with the warranty company ! I don't go to them and complain if I've had a hard day do I ?! I WILL NEVER USE THEM AGAIN AND WOULDN'T RECOMEND THEM EVEN TO MY WORST ENEMY ! AVOID LIKE THE PLAUGE ! also: 14/09/09: I've used B&R garages a few times now and after the last visit will not be going back! I've had an intermittant fault with my 320d losing power. They managed to keep my car for A WEEK charge me over £300 and fix absolutley NOTHING! Tony cash cerainly does know how to talk the talk but don;t believe a word he says - I learned the hard way! |
| South Wales BMW | and |
90, Fabian Way, Swansea | Run by real BMW perfectonists. If you cannot get it fixed here then
it cannot be fixed. Have dealt with them for 15 years and they always repair
and service on a "right first time" approach. You will be amazed
as I was at the difference between so called Main Dealers and how it should
be done. Try them, you will be impressed.
Also: Poor customer service. also: 01/06/06: Utter rubbish, terrible customer service. Aggressive and hostile staff. Also: 05/05/06: Customer service-woman on phone attitude totally unacceptable, ie attitude to customers, garage does not keep people updated and when picked car up an employee made threats and tried getting to a woman who was in a car who is pregnant, the people had to keep closing the door to stop her and had to lock doors. Not somewhere where I shall be taking my car. Also: 29/07/06: I would like to report them as poor as well, may treat long-standing customers well but new customers (such as I) are treated to the 'needs new disks/pads' line. Also technicians may be good, but the receptionist could do with some in-depth customer service skills!! I would like to recommend, however, Bryn Motor Works on Gors Avenue behind Trainers BMW, Swansea. Local guy, ex-BMW technician, straight-forward and honest. Won't rip you off. Took the time to explain to me everything he had checked over and done at a service. Also: 29/07/06: Unfortunately I was totally unimpressed by this garage and found them to have a ‘couldn’t care less attitude’. From my experience it would appear that they employ the most aggressive and rudest staff in South Wales. When questioning work raised and costs, I was informed, ‘All our other customers just book there cars in, let us carry out whatever work we want and pay the bill at the end and don’t ask questions’. Certainly not a garage I would recommend to anyone. Also: 30/07/06: i must agree with negative comments. i was probably dealing with the monkeys rather than the organ grinder but found them abrupt and disinterested (terrible receptionist). i never went back. Also: 20/10/06: An absoulute pleaseure to deal with and excellent workmanship.Very reasonable costs, and now all the people I work with who own BMW's take their car there to serviced. Also: 19/01/07: I am a compentant mechanic, I should be, I have been one for 20 years! and my car was due for a service, now as I no longer need to take my car to a dealers, I thought I would try these, and I will never make that mistake again. It started with a very poor welcome from the receptionist (that should have rang alarm bells) but I decided to overlook this, then I decided to call and see what progress they were making so I could plan my day to which the receptionist was very rude and told me to stop bothering them (I only phoned once!) and then when I arrived to pick up my car the mechanics werent doing any work and my car still wasnt done! After a few hours I was told my car was done, only to be told that I needed extra work done to the car, which I know wasnt true, I questioned this and the receptionists behaviour I was met with the attitude of 'we know better and dont question us'. This is not a garage that I would recommend, but I have come across a great garage since called Bryn Motor Workshop, I just wish I had read this first. also: 02/04/08: Please please avoid like the plague,took my wifes 116 in for an electrical fault,was told after 3 weeks I would need a reconditioned engine at £2500 plus labour absolutley clueless took the car to another garage solved in days at a cost of just £250. |
| Ryedale BMW | also: |
Newport | Very polite, friendly service from both service and used car staff.
Tried hard to find me the car I wanted when buying and now service the
7 series I bought. Lost 1 star because some items seem a bit pricey but
staff are excellent.
Also: Worst customer service I have ever received. I had my BMW 3 series serviced in August and had new brake pads and discs alround which they charged a premium for. Then less than 5000 miles later the front pads started binding and it had to go back. They diagonised a worn brake caliper and said that the disc was warped as a result and that I needed to replace the pads/discs again and have a new caliper. My car has done less than 50,000 and they said that the fact that my caliper was faulty was fair wear and tear !! They refused to accept that I should expect a caliper to last longer than this and refused to take the issue up on my behalf with BMW Uk as they were "too busy"- I will NEVER use them again Also: 27/02/07: 30000 mile Oil service performed by Newport Rydale on my 330Ci coupe. Polite and prompt reception and service department. Picked car up from my work and dropped off at no additional charge at agreed times. All work completed as specified. Easy payment over phone with no waiting on hold. Complete wash and valet included. Invoice was fairly steep but acceptable (It isn't a Kia!!) and as agreed. We owned a Mini Cooper S bought from Rydale Cardiff and decided to try the Newport branch instead after poor experiences. Overall very impressed and recommend this BMW main dealer. Quite a refreshing change!! |
| Promotive | Newport | 17/10/09: I was always interested the big 7 series and after much thinking,
I went and bought the biggest - a 2000 E38 750iL with 100,000 miles. I
picked it up in June 2009.
I purchased it from BMW specialist. Promotive in Newport, Wales. John O'Sullivan, the proprietor, had used it for 2 years as a chauffeur car which meant that when I picked the car up, it was prepared to an extremely high standard with recent new discs and pads all round, new alternator, new radiator, new rear suspension lower arms and ball joint. After a few weeks, the engine management light came on and I drove down to Newport from Gloucester (45 minutes). John noticed that there was a small air leak on both of the throttle motor boots and also sorted out a lower windscreen panel issue for no extra cost. He has a great after sales attitude. Nothing was too much trouble, unlike some of the reviews I've seen on other garages ! Being the V12 model, I had my reservations about issues such as reliability but John mentioned how robust this particular model was. For a small premium, he offered a lifetime warranty on the car which I took. I've had it for 4 months and the car is fantastic. If you are in this area (and especially if you own the bigger 7 series), I would recommend using Promotive as their BMW knowledge is second to none and their labour rates are less than half of the main dealer and, more importantly, their customer service and attitude is great. I will be using them for all my servicing and repair work on the V12. |
|
| Green Bower | and |
Pembrokeshire | A very good dealership, probably because it's quite small. Servicing
and repairs are expensive - 40 to replace a front indicator bulb on the
X5!
The owner, along with all the staff are very helpful and not at all stuffy - as in many BMW dealerships.Have used this dealership for many years - no complaints, only praise - apart from the cost of servicing etc. Also: Good servie, reasonable prices, have had 6 3-Series through them and will buy the next one from them as well. Also: Booked my E39 Touring in to sort the rear veiw mirror (fallen off) the indicators not flashing on dash and not clicking,oil service,new aircon rocker switches. Given a courtesy car..."It'll be ready tomorrow" Went down at 4pm....."Sorry,its not quite ready" 5:50PM........"Its ready now sir" The bill came to over 500 and the indicator problem was still the same(and still is not sorted)the mirror?....."sorry sir,it has to have a new windscreen" So.......if you want to pay over 500 for an oil service...take it there! Also: Since the introduction of the new mini to this firm's dealership range, i'm sorry to say they have "lost the plot". cars are not ready when promised after servicing and recently our X5 has spent more time there than we have spent driving it - they charge top prices, but do not have the expertise to resolve problems that arise now and again with such complex cars.Where does one go to get quality service and expertise as regards resolving technical problems? |
| Smiths | and |
Caergwrle, North Wales | Long-established independent BMW specialist. Sales and service. I have
used them for years and cannot fault them. The care and attention cannot
be bettered and they are very knowledgable. Bill is a Chartered Engineer,
which probably helps and his tech guys are BMW-trained. The free loan cars
tend to be astonomical milage but good-looking 3-series that show how these
cars age gracefully. Not the cheapest, but excellent value.
Also: I bought a "3 owner" BMW from them cash at full screen price. Waited for it to be fully serviced and prepared before I collected it. They said the V5 had been stolen so couldn't provide it when I did collect the car - on the way home it kept stalling. Full service? - oil dirty, oil filter filthy, running lights blown, I could go on. Best surprise was when the V5 arrived, the car had 11, yes 11 previous owners! Nothing I could do with a cash sale, but trading standards are aware. No - I don't think I'll be going back. Lesson - Get the paperwork before parting with cash, even when it's a garage you think you can trust. Also: Bought a compact for top book price with 12 months MOT. Similar story to above with V5 - not stolen, but had a lot of trouble getting anyone from Smiths to sign the transfer section, to signify the sale. I don't know why, but it just appeared dodgy. The car has been fine since, although I put it through another MOT after 4 months because I was worried that the suspension was tired - surprise, surprise it needed shocks at the rear and a suspension bush at the front. Car okay apart from this, but I haven't been back.... I'd rather pay main dealers now. Also: 14/06/06: My BMW 535i Sport broke down on Monday 5th June with a broken water pump and cooling fan. The emergency services took me to Smiths at Wrexham where I left the car overnight and Smiths fixed the car and I was back on the road by 2.30pm the following afternoon. The bill was only £360.81 which I considered to be very reasonable. I could not have asked for better service. My thanks and well done to Smiths Also: 14/03/07: Bought a BMW 330i sport from them and was suprised to note that the oil warning light came on. Phoned Smiths who were very helpful, suggesting it is the breather pipe. They sent a mechanic out to me with oil and confirmed the problem and plan to do work within 4 days. So far so good. Also: 30/04/07: Took my 320d to Smiths with an engine knocking noise when the car was idling. The car had had an oil change at another garage a week before. The knocking had started after that. On my return all they had done was changed the oil and filter and charged me £100 for the privilege. They said the oil in the car was incorrect when I questioned them how they knew it wasn't right i.e. tested it etc.. they said it was just wrong. Said the noise had reduced (which it hadn't). I would not recommend this garage and have just wasted £100 on an unnessary oil change. I will now have to take the car to a real BMW specialist. I think the BMW trained mechanics must have been off the day my car went in. |
| Autotech | Caerleon,Newport - S Wales | Have taken all of my beemers here,and they are excellent!!
Very friendly service, always happy to help and discuss the car and its problems, and very reasonable prices. Staff are very knowledgeable and if you are in the S Wales area I would definately recommend these :) Also: 20/03/07: I moved to S Wales in 2003 and originally had my E46 M3 dealer serviced & repaired at Rydales Newport. I quickly got fed up of the HIGH costs and "nothing special" service. If you pay a high price for a premium car I would expect a certain level of treatment by the dealers. Hunted around and found a few recommendations for AutoTech so thought I'd give them a try. Went for a visit first and, although this is a no frills operation, found them to be helpful and friendly. I had just paid over £500 for a new alternator and got them to quote me for it and they said it would be approx £290 through them. I have now used AutoTech for around a year (and they see me a fair bit! due to high mileage and a few age-related problems - car not me!) and I trust them with my car and the service they provide. They don't have courtesy cars but I could never get one from Rydales anyway. Suze will make you a coffee if you are waiting and she also rings up and keeps you informed of progress. Tony and Gaz both own and drive BMW's and seem to take real pride in the work they do. All parts are genuine BMW, they have genuine BMW diagnostics computers and are part of the semi-official AtoTech BMW independent repairers. They are normally very busy, their reputation means they get a lot of work in. |
|
| Premier BMW | North Wales | 27/05/06: Part of the 'oil service'is to check the brakes pads! Before
the next 'inspection' service was due I experienced shuddering when gently
braking from high speed - severe braking felt o.k. This prompted me to
strip the brakes. Pads were in a terrible condition with metal backplates
separating and in poor order and had obviously not been checked properly
on the previous service or they would have been found. The shuddering was
probably warped disks, but it brought to light the sub-standard brake examination.
Lucky I happen to be an engineer.
Also: 23/10/06: Took my Mini in for a service, came back with no water in the tank. Service terrible, garage would not admit it was their fault |
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| Hind Heath | Sandbach | 21/03/07: An excellent service from a true BMW specialist, extremely knowledgeable, great work and advice and great value | |
| Trenics | Shotton, North Wales | Fantastic, without their help and expertise I would not be able to
afford to own a BMW. Their prices are half that of BMW, they are ex BMW
mechanics with years of experience. I cannot recomend them highly enough.
Also: 21/08/06: They never fail to go the extra mile to keep the customer happy. Professional, knowledgable, highly responsive and always good humoured. A shining example of how to look after your customers - in any industry! Also: 11/05/07: Taken evry bm ive owned there and always experienced excellent service. Also received free technical advice and support from them free of charge. |
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| Bryn Motor Workshop | Swansea | 29/07/06: Brilliant garage, unlike other 'specialist' garages I have
been to in the area, ex BMW trained mechanic, friendly staff, done little
jobs not specified for them to do at no extra cost and also checked everything
over and advised on problems with NO pressure for work to be done there,
and also kept well informed of progress and time when it will be ready,
and they also look after your interior! Brilliant garage, highly recommended!
Best specialist garage in area, highly recommended
also: 10/05/09: Superb service, Only charge you for what they do unlike Trainers who wanted £80 per hour. Fault with abs light and Trainers told me they needed the car all day to "run diagnostics and repair". So i called Gary at Bryn Motor Workshop and he told me it would be £40 per hour and he would only need the car for 0ne hour. Problem fixed superb service from a BMW trained mechanic giving great service at reasonable prices. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!! also: 20/09/09: Brilliant - What Gary doesnt know isnt worth knowing. Cooperative, intelligent and efficient. Paul and the other boys are equally good. Mrs Evans is always helpful and welcoming - LEARN A LESSON TRAINERS! |
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| BM Wize Ltd. | Rumney, Cardiff | 17/09/06: Having taken my BMW to Rydale for faults on my car 8 times and spending absene amounts of money and them still not fixing my car I took it to B M Wize Ltd who have 14 years BMW experience. They fixed my car first time and there rate is very resonable. Thanks Mark for all you help and advise. |